Author Topic: [FF7PC-98] Menu Reconstruction Mod (Discontinued, use Reunion)  (Read 31570 times)

DLPB_

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Obesebear Edit: This mod is outdated and has been replaced by this one http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=11649.0

Menu Reconstruction Mod


Credits

DLPB: Design, Hex editing
Kranmer: Hex coding, Locating hex values, Various cheats
dziugo: 9999 Break HP Limit, Default Run
kruci: Default Run


Menu Reconstruction 004


Always read the information in the installer.

This is the Menu Reconstruction Mod for use with the original translation of the game.  It will correct the vast majority of alignment issues in the game.  The Re-translation Project version will come as part of the Re-translation Project Installer.



Needed:  1.02 Executable.  It does not matter if the exe has been altered.  The installer will not be able to update the old FF7.exe from the disc.  You will need 1.02 version exe installed in your game folder if you want to run the game with Aali's driver too.  The installer should now warn you if you do not have Aali's driver properly configured.


There were a few problems in modifying this from the re-translation version.  Mainly, the use of "Arrange" in the Materia menu meant it can't look as nice as it would otherwise with a smaller word like "Order".   I have used the word "Order" in this release. 

Please note that there are technical limitations with the game which make it impossible to arrange all menus exactly how I would have liked.  Some values are linked, and sometimes moving certain objects will end up ruining another menu or causing another problem.  Sometimes the value itself has a cap on how large it can be, and other times, the text itself becomes the limiting factor.  All in all, this is pretty much the best I could do with the tools I was given.   I will take feedback into consideration.

The following are some examples:



Main Menu

Materia Menu

Magic Menu

Limit Menu

Status Menu

Config Menu

Battle1 Menu

Save Menu

Quit Menu


Progress Report

Menus Completed (43):

Dialogue/Field (Cursor was way out)
New Game/Continue
Load menu "Select a save data file"
Load Main menu
Main Menu
Item menu
Key Item menu
Magic Main menu
Magic Magic Submenu
Magic Magic Submenu Selection menu
Magic Summon Submenu
Magic Enemy-Skill Submenu
Materia Main menu
Materia Check menu
Materia Check Magic Submenu
materia Check Summon Submenu
Materia Check Enemy-Skill Submenu
Materia Swap menu
Equip Main menu
Status Main menu
Status menu 2
Status menu 3
Limit Main menu
Config Main menu
Config Window Colour Submenu
Config Sound Submenu
Config Controller Submenu
PHS Main Menu
PHS right Submenu
Save "Select a save menu"
Save Main menu
Quit Menu

Shop Sell Materia menu
Shop Sell Item submenu
Shop Sell Item Main menu
Shop Buy Item menu
Shop Buy Materia menu
Shop Buy Weapon menu
Shop Buy Weapon submenu
After Battle Menu 1
After Battle Menu 2
Name enter menu
Battle Arena Menu

Dialogue Boxes Completed (19):

Loading Please Wait Dialogue Box
Load Progress Bar
Item Menu Order Box
Limit Manual Dialogue
Materia Arrange Box
Materia Arrange Discard Dialogue Box
Limit Menu Change Break Level Dialogue Box
Limit Menu "Limit Set" Dialogue
Save Menu "Are you sure you want to save" Dialogue Box
Saving Please Wait Dialogue Box
Save Progress Bar
Save menu "Saved" Dialogue
Item Buy Dialogue Box

Shop Main Menu
Shop Main Menu, Sell Submenu
Battle 1 "Was born" dialogue
Battle 1 "Materia level up" dialogue
Battle 1 "Level Up" dialogue
Battle 1 "Limit level" dialogue

Not Completed (1)

Main Battle Menu

Not modded (2):

Debug Menu
Credit Screen

This project should be considered the counterpart to Kranmer's Battle Interface Reconstruction.

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=10081.0 

We have not touched the debug menu, and have no plans to.


 Overall Progress-  Completed:  62/63 (98%)



Known Issues with 004

1.  We still have not located all of the values for making the menu transitions smooth again as they were in PSX version of the game.

2.  004 onwards only supports Team Avalanche graphics.

« Last Edit: 2014-07-19 18:20:51 by Covarr »

Covarr

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #1 on: 2010-09-11 23:11:57 »
I'm confused. Is the 001b version out yet? The link says 001a, but the text at the bottom implies that 001b is available.

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #2 on: 2010-09-11 23:13:07 »
Yeah I just added it there for now :)  Sorry about that.  When next one comes along, I will post here.  Which is soon...  because Installer is being made now.
« Last Edit: 2010-09-11 23:15:14 by DLPB »

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #3 on: 2010-09-15 06:55:25 »
002 is released.  See first post.  This version has an installer.  Kernel2.bin is copied across and the good news is that no programming values exist in this archive so it cannot damage any major mods, like difficulty mods (which use kernel.bin), although if you have manually edited text inside the kernel, it is recommended you backup kernel2.bin.  I will be releasing the retranslation project's next installer soon to include the menu mod.

If you have any problems or questions, please let me know.    I have tested this as much as I can and there should be no problems.

In this release:

- Main Patch
- Status patch
- Team Avalanche Fix

Next release:

9999 Break HP Limit Patcher
« Last Edit: 2010-09-15 08:18:25 by DLPB »

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #4 on: 2010-10-01 12:50:35 »
New release soon but I wanted to let you all know why it is taking so long:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg129/SeiferAlmasy2008/FF7%20debugging/finalmenu.png

I have been adding a few options to the installer and one of them is this.  New side menu layout.  Whilst the animation of the menu to the submenu can't possibly work, I have been editing values and testing most of this morning so that the animation back to the menu works just fine.

This actually means that with these new values I have found , it is now possible to place the side menu anywhere.  I think this looks good, and thus it is my final revision.  There are now 2 options with the menu:

1.  Keep original menu animations and placement
2.  Change to the new layout (above)

I have added a few other options too:

  • 9999 Break HP limit cheat
  • No random battles cheat [kranmer]
  • Save anywhere cheat [Kranmer]


If there are any others you can think of let me know.

I can begin soon on getting these changes ready for the retranslation version also.  It is just going to take time.
« Last Edit: 2010-10-01 13:06:35 by DLPB »

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #5 on: 2010-10-21 02:56:34 »
Small update.  It shouldn't be long now...  it is just very annoying.  The menu is a bit crap to begin with and although this is 3X better than it was, I can't help but wish we could completely overhaul it.  In any case...  the problems I am facing at the moment are due to all the options which interfere with one another.

By adding a 9999 patch, a lot of text needs to be moved, and at same time I have added options to allow for the shorthand (wpn, arm as opposed to weapon, armor).  All these little options need to work together in the installer.

This is the structure:

Main mod

Status patch option

Original menu > without shorthand

No Menu > with shorthand
              > without shorthand

9999 Patch (forced no menu and no shorthand)

recommended for best presentation is No menu with shorthand.  It looks so much better imho with Wpn, Arm, and Acc.

But as you can see, not all options have been allowed here because of the work load and testing required.  In the future I may add a complete option list but at the moment I don't see why anyone would want anything other than the recommended menu.  No menu means that the menu does not animate to the next screens.

And then there are all the minor gripes I need to deal with (and for every one I fix another pops up).... and that's just this one.  Then I have to go back to retranslated version and duplicate a lot of the work again.

It almost makes me want to turn dictator and just force everyone to view the menu as my preference but hey ho.
                                             

« Last Edit: 2010-10-21 03:01:46 by DLPB »

Timber

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #6 on: 2010-10-21 06:40:25 »
It shouldn't be long now...  it is just very annoying.  The menu is a bit crap to begin with and although this is 3X better than it was, I can't help but wish we could completely overhaul it.

Sounds like you have ideas in your head. You seem to be getting better at the menu modding, maybe one day you can overhaul it! :)

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #7 on: 2010-10-25 09:43:01 »
Well here it is.  There have been some big changes so read what it says in the installer, and the Readme which is created on your desktop.  There are so many things I had to consider and testing was difficult.  I hope this is good!


Menu Reconstruction Mod - 003

Main Changes:

003:

This is considered the first main release.

1.  5 Options for the menu and option for Team Avalanche Fix.
2. Option for 9999 break HP limit cheat, Save anywhere cheat, No random battles cheat
3.  Fixed hundreds of small errors with cursors and text
4.  magic menu and Limit Menu have been significantly altered.
5.  Installer should now work on any altered ff7.exe file, even if this installer has been used beforehand already.
6.  The Side menu should now scroll onto the screen smoothly, unlike the original.  There are more values needed to be found which will restore the smooth menu which is present in the PSX game.
7.  Sephiroth animation added.  I pulled the frames out 1 by 1 using Kimera and created png files and used some nice code that Kranmer found for the installer.  Hope you like it :P
« Last Edit: 2010-10-25 10:17:31 by DLPB »

BloodShot

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #8 on: 2010-10-25 10:55:03 »
Heh, the animated sephiroth with his hair flying out of the installer was pretty cool.

I tried the menu, nicely done - the whole thing feels much more polished now.

I look forward to seeing loading games implemented from the menu (if ever)

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #9 on: 2010-10-25 10:57:41 »
Would have been smoother that animation but then the install is 2 MB so didn't bother.

Timber

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #10 on: 2010-10-25 16:30:28 »
Cheers DLPB, nice work.

I just gave it a whirl, and here are some thoughts:

- The contents of the Limit menu look strange, too left. Probably due to the fact it isn't a normal menu, it's like 4 lil square shaped sub menus. Centred may look better.

- Now that the headings are gone from each menu page, some of them look like there is a lot of wasted space up the top. The Magic menu especially, could have an extra line of viewable magic if the top stuff was moved up! I imagine this would be extremely hard though :P

That's all really, pretty hard to fault this, it's very nice. The installer worked perfectly, although I didn't really like the readme going to the desktop, made it hard to find. Couldn't it just be in the zip download?

Oh also, now that the magic menu can be placed anywhere, would you consider adding a 'left hand main menu' option on the installer? :D

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #11 on: 2010-10-25 20:41:40 »
- The contents of the Limit menu look strange, too left. Probably due to the fact it isn't a normal menu, it's like 4 lil square shaped sub menus. Centred may look better.


Yeah I may centre it out for the Limit Menu but tbh it looks bad no matter where that is...  if it is centred it looks like it is too far away.

The Magic menu especially, could have an extra line of viewable magic if the top stuff was moved up! I imagine this would be extremely hard though :P

I guess, but then it looks a bit crowded.  I don't think it is too bad as is...

although I didn't really like the readme going to the desktop, made it hard to find. Couldn't it just be in the zip download?

Yeah that's a better idea.  I didn't intend on having a zip file but since I use one, I will change this for future.

Oh also, now that the magic menu can be placed anywhere, would you consider adding a 'left hand main menu' option on the installer? :D

Maybe in the distant future.  Kranmer may want to have a dabble with it, but personally I think a left hand menu looks pretty ugly....  Looks strange and out of place and the benefits are minimal.. if any. 

AlbusJC

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #12 on: 2010-10-25 21:34:15 »
is compatible with other languages?? spanish for example

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #13 on: 2010-10-25 21:42:34 »
is compatible with other languages?? spanish for example

No...  Sadly it isn't.  It will change the exe of other languages correctly in terms of basic alignment, but much of the foreign exe's will come out very poorly in a lot of areas...  words of different lengths will mean the alignment will look poor or end up going into graphics etc.

I have no plans to make one for other languages since the effort required is ridiculous.  I have nothing against someone using what we have done and making amendments.  Send me the Spanish exe and I will look at how it is.

AlbusJC

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #14 on: 2010-10-25 22:10:34 »

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #15 on: 2010-10-25 22:36:06 »
here is my current exe file.
http://hotfile.com/dl/78322680/ff71546/Spanish_FF7.rar.html
thanks DLPB

I forgot...  I will need a number of your game files too.  I can't remember which though...  probably world_**.lgp and menu_**.lgp for certain. 

and CD folder disc_**.lgp and cr_**.lgp

and Kernel.bin and Kernel2.bin.

6 files.

If anyone has any idea of anything else I will need, let me know....
« Last Edit: 2010-10-25 22:50:23 by DLPB »

AlbusJC

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #16 on: 2010-10-26 00:06:49 »
if you need anything more please let me know.
http://hotfile.com/dl/78336888/e0d5a9e/Spanish_files_FFVII.rar.html
thanks again

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #17 on: 2010-10-26 01:53:56 »
Still a problem.

high-sp.lgg
and snowboard_sp.lgp

those must be the reason.  I hope it isn't because I am using flevel.lgp english.

Anyway send those 2 and we will see.

------------------

Also note to people.  Cursor in main dialogue may be off when using Team Avalanche graphics.  This will be sorted later.

Timber

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #18 on: 2010-10-26 02:46:40 »
personally I think a left hand menu looks pretty ugly....  Looks strange and out of place and the benefits are minimal.. if any.

Haha fair enough, I think the same about the right hand menu. Also my opinion aside, when I made that mock-up in photoshop, everyone loved it.

Anyways I noticed in the readme that the battle menu will be included in the next version :D
Is this an actual redesign, or just alignment fixes?

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #19 on: 2010-10-26 04:10:26 »
It is Kranmer's battle mod.  I will be working with him later to get the alignment issues fixed up.  It is his baby and I don't want to muscle in but getting the text placement consistent with the menu will probably require the 2 of us, since I have designed the menu mod a certain way.  The Battle arena is also included with his mod.  Whether we can merge the 2 together in 1 installer is something which is up to Kranmer.  I am all for it...

Get me a proper mockup of the left hand menu, how you want it exactly to the correct proportions, and I will see about making a special edit at the very end.  Use the new side menu in your mock up.

AlbusJC

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #20 on: 2010-10-26 07:52:22 »

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #21 on: 2010-10-26 08:53:22 »
Well for some reason the game just crashes.  I dunno why.  There must be another file it needs or some other problem.  I will try and find out.

Although it is doubtful I will be making a Spanish version anytime soon.  If I do, it will just be 1 option since having 5 choices creates a monumental task.  If anyone else wants to use our mod and edit it to fit, I am all for that too.

total9999

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #22 on: 2010-10-30 21:17:18 »
what change for the original menu??
sorry for my bad english :oops:

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #23 on: 2010-10-30 22:26:05 »
what change for the original menu??
sorry for my bad english :oops:

What change?  Install it and you will see  8)

DLPB_

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Re: [REL]Menu Reconstruction Mod
« Reply #24 on: 2010-11-02 02:21:07 »
Well little piece of information.  The Menu mod by me and Kranmer will be merging with the Battle menu mod.

I think Kranmer wants to keep a separate installer as well, but when things are more polished and ready, I will add the battle/battle arena changes to this installer and the retranslation project installer, as an option.

That way the project will feel like 1 completed mod.  For now I am finishing the retranslation menu mod to compliment the normal game menu mod.  It should all be done tonight.  004 will be the last update until I merge with Kranmer's mod.

We have not been able to fix the credit screen at the start.  All that needs changing is the timing of new text onto the screen and possibly the font. 
« Last Edit: 2010-11-02 02:29:40 by DLPB »